How to Upgrade to the Latest Version of Node Js (Linux, Ubuntu, Osx, Others)

Just like all the other vast number of open-source frameworks, Node.js is one of the highly recommended technologies. Minor updates turn out at regular intervals to keep the architecture steady and solid as well as provides enhanced security among most of the version branches.  

There are many upcoming techniques to update Node JS to the latest version. Each method is designed keeping in mind the various operating systems. So there is no reason to hold you back from upgrading Node.js to its latest version. Due to this Node JS development company also focusing on this. Here is an accumulated list of ways to introduce the most up to date version of Node. These methods are both simple and effective ways to upgrade to the latest version release. This article explores the upgrades on Linux-based systems, Windows, as well as Mac OS machines. Make sure that before you begin, check the version of Node.js you're using at present. You can do so by merely running the command ‘node – v’ in a command line terminal. 

Every now and then, when you upgrading to Node JS latest version, you have to make a great deal of edits to the ‘Dockerfile’ as well as ‘circle.yml’ files. This can be a very monotonous and tedious errand.

To simplify this undertaking, you can run an ‘update-node’ in the directory which contains most of your archives. You need to enter the new Node.js version as one of the parameters using the command

$ update-node <version> 

One key thing to remember is that ‘update-node’ does not submit or push any changes on its own. You can still manage the outcome of the update. This allows you to initially check what are the updates performed by the ‘update-node’ command. 

To submit and push for every single change in a repository, you are better off using ‘forany’ command.

Here is the list of ways how to update node js to the latest version. It covers all the three primary operating systems: Linux, Windows, and Mac.

Ways to update Node JS on Linux

For Linux users, there are multiple ways or steps to upgrade Node js in your system, three ways to be specific. The first option is probably the highly recommended method. The simplistic nature and highly effective methods are very popular among developers and coders. In worst case scenarios, if you are not able to use the Node Version Manager, you can alternatively use the package manager or the binary packages.

Option 1: Updating Node JS with the help of Node Version Manager

A common terminology for Node Version Manager is NVM. It is probably the best way to upgrade to the latest version of the technology. You also need to get your hands on a C++ compiler. You will also need to use libssl-dev package and the build-essential package. You can first run the update and then get the packages. You can run the update by the commands

1    sudo apt-get update

2    sudo apt-get install build-essential checkinstall libssl-dev

In the event you need to update the NVM or install a version of it, you can get the installation script from any of the online portals or website.

Once it is installed, you will need to reboot the terminal for the changes to take effect. For checking if the installation was successful you could run the command ‘–v nvm.’ Based on the output, you can figure out if the installation was done correctly. This is a one-time effort after which it is a walk in the park to get Node JS updated to the latest version. For information on the currently installed versions, you can use nvm Isand. To get a list of available versions, you can use nvm Is-remote.

Once you are confident about the version details of the Node that you want to install, you can install it by running the command ‘nvm install <version number>.’ You can also check out the list of nvm versions and set a default version using alias command.

Option 2: Update Node JS version through a Package Manager

 If at all you are not able to upgrade the Node JS version using NVM, then the next best option is to use a package manager. Node package manager or NPM can be instrumental in discovering, using and sharing codes as well as to manage any dependencies on previous versions of Node JS. The node package manager is part of installation setup for Node JS. To check out the current version of the package manager, you can use the command ‘npm –v.’ For installing the most recent update, you can use the command ‘install npm @ latest –g.’ Once updated, you can check if the operation was successful by running ‘npm –v.’

You will also need to have access to the Node Package Manager ‘n module’. You can clear the npm cache with the command ‘npm cache clean –f.’ Once the cache is cleared, run the command which will install the n module, i.e., ‘sudo npm install –g n.’ Now you can choose the most stable version of Node, or you can specify the version using the version number.

Option 3: Update Node using Binary Package k(Ubuntu/Debian/CentOS and Linux)

This is least sought out path to update the version of Node JS and is probably the last resort. You can go to the official downloads page for Node JS to get your hands on the 32-bit binary file or the 64-bit binary file for Linux. You can use the command ‘wget https://nodejs.org/dist/v6.9.2/node-v6.9.2-linux-x64.tar.xz‘. You can download this file through a browser or with the help of a console. However, it is important to remember that the Node JS version could possibly change with the release of newer updates. Extract the file and install it using ‘xz-utils.’ The next step is to install the binary package using the command ‘1 tar -C /usr/local --strip-components 1 -xJf node-v6.9.2-linux.x64.tar.xz’.

Updating the Node JS Version (Windows and Mac OS) with Installers

 Once you check out the downloads page for Node JS, you can see that there are binary packages for Windows and Mac. You can also use the existing and pre-defined installers, i.e. *.msi for Windows platform and *.pkg for a Mac. This can hasten and ease the installation process. Once you download the file in your local storage and run the file, the wizard takes over and handles the rest of the installation process. Once an update has been downloaded, the version numbers of the Node in the NPM will automatically be updated from the older versions. 

You can also learn more about the Important Tips and Features in Node.js to Practice here.

Conclusion

The above steps will ensure that your version of Node Js is upgraded and the updates are completed. However, this does not make any changes in your packages or modules. Updating the packages along with the dependencies are also necessary. This is required for increasing compatibility levels and enhance security. Sometimes, Node JS modules become obsolete and are not compatible with the latest versions. You can use ‘npm update’ command to update the command modules to their most recent version.